The tuning lever is available in a couple of different styles, including a T Handle and a Gooseneck Handle, and personal preference should be what governs which you use. The Gooseneck tends to offer more leverage, but it does not let you fine tune the instrument quite as well. The T Handle on the other hand offers more control for fine tuning but is not quite as easy to turn for some players. Make sure that the tuning lever that you choose fits the pins in your instrument.
The bridge bumper is a tool that should be used with extreme care, and by people who know what they are doing, so get guidance if you feel that you need it. If you use a bridge bumper without proper care, you can mar the finish on the sound board, or break the bridge of your instrument completely. This is a stick with some padding on it that can be used to move the treble bridge into its proper position or alignment for tuning. The bridge bumper should only be used against the bottom of the bridge. Finally, the leather pad is used to protect the sound board's finish should you happen to be using a bridge bumper for tuning purposes.
The next question to ask yourself is about how often you need to actually tune your hammered dulcimer instrument. The solution to this is actually relatively simple: You should tune only when you actually need to tune. Most hammered dulcimers will naturally stabilize over time, allowing them to be less frequently tuned. Newer hammered dulcimers on the other hand typically need to be often tuned at least in the first few months before their assemblages can normalize. If you are playing a new instrument, then you should expect to sit down and tune it on a fairly regular basis.
Hammered dulcimers are going to need to be retuned in situations where significant humidity changes are in place, because high humidity can cause the wood to absorb moisture, and this will expand the wood. Expansion of the wood will cause the instrument to play more sharply than it is meant to. On the other hand, low humidity will cause the wood to lose moisture, which will shrink the wood and cause the instrument to go flat over time. If you change to heating from air conditioning or from air conditioning to heating, you should plan on retuning your instrument. If you control the humidity in your home more effectively, you will not need to tune your hammered dulcimer as often.
There is some debate regarding whether you should begin at the bottom or the top when tuning your hammered dulcimer. It really does not make much difference though, so the best advice that you can take is simply to begin where you want to. Do what is comfortable for you, tune to the right level for your play, and you should be just fine.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2009-02-26 05:04:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Hammered and Lap Dulcimer Instruments The Hammered Dulcimer What the dulcimer is, is a stringed instrument that has perceived to be an ancestor to the modern piano. It possesses a number of courses of between two and five strings for each note, and they are stretched across a shallow trapezoid shaped box that is made...... -
Tuning the Hammered Dulcimer pt 1 The hammered dulcimer is a beautiful instrument that is not widely known about, despite producing gorgeous melodies. In addition to learning new tunes on this intriguing instrument, one of the most challenging aspects of owning and playing the hammered dulcimer is learning how to tune it. The more strings that...... -
Brief History of the Sitar The sitar is a plucked string instrument that uses sympathetic strings and a long hollow neck along with a gourd resonating chamber in order to produce a very rich musical sound along with a complex harmonic resonance. The Sitar is predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, but has been used...... -
More Tips on Buying Violins With the vast assortment violins to choose from, buying a new instrument can be quite a challenging endeavor. However, this task can be much easier if you do some research ahead of time. The following are some points to remember when buying a new or used violin. If you are...... -
Hammered Dulcimer The hammered dulcimer is a stringed instrument that is based upon a sound box that is shaped as a trapezoid. The musician sits or stands in front of the instrument, which lies upon a stand at an inclined angle. The principle way to play the instrument is to hammer the......
Related Websites -
How to Choose and Install Cabinet Knobs and Pulls Cabinet knobs and pulls don't really get noticed much. At least, we've looked at our own for so many years we barely noticed them. It's something that's more easily noticed at someone else's house and at the home improvement store where there are dozens of different, eye-catching kinds. New cabinet...... -
How to Install Bathroom Tile Your choice of bathroom tile is extremely important for establishing the décor of your bathroom. However, no matter what fancy pattern and color scheme you choose, it won’t look good unless it’s installed properly. It can cost a fortune to have a contracted install bathroom tile for you, so you...... -
Tips for Buying Discounted Perfume Discounted perfume can make fragrance shopping feel like Christmas. But you may not be getting everything you think when you're paying half price for your favorite scents. First of all, everything and everything one that offers you a discount on perfume is not a scam. There are very legitimate stores...... -
Which Floor Sander for Which Job If you need a floor sander, you're probably about to refinish a hardwood floor. It's not an easy do-it-yourself task because the sanders are heavy and in some cases will require two people to lift. It's labor-intensive in that regard, and strength and endurance are needed to operate the sanders....... -
Ian Poulter Earns #5 World Ranking On Sunday in Marana, Arizona, Ian Poulter won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, giving him his first US victory, and moving him to number 5 in the world, a career-high for Poulter. Often more well-known for his colorful clothing line and the precise ironing of his pants than his golf,......
- Strings Harp & Dulcimer String Acoustic Musical Instruments
- Old School Accessories Handle Bodyboards Surfing Surf Store
- Wood Surfboards Surfing Surf Store
- Snow With Angled Handle Rakes, Shovels & Hoes Garden Tools & Equipment Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- Electric Harp & Dulcimer String Acoustic Musical Instruments
Categories:
Acoustic Musical Instruments, dulcimer, Instrument Care
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment